Throw It All Away
by Unused Account 2
Summary: A oneshot based on SA2 and from Shadow's point of view. Spoilers for those that have not finished the game yet by now.


Throw It All Away

Though a fiery pain licked at my skin, my mind would soon be at ease. Soon enough, I would be gone from this world. Soon enough, I would return to her. Soon enough…

Blackness coming over me, I closed my eyes, no longer wanting to see. It felt as if I was passing through hell itself, and though I was content at leaving, my body was not. It is the mind that controls the body, however, and as I curled up tight, I began to block out the pain. It was then that my life began to show before my mind's eye.

In a way, my life began and ended with Ark. Though I do not know truly who I am, and though my memories may not be my own, I am Shadow, and my life began with my first and final decision.

As I walked into the inner chamber of Ark, I knew what would be awaiting me. I was not shocked to find myself face to face with that monster. Though no one alive would know, this devil and I were the same. At one time, we lived and breathed alike. The moment I entered that room, we connected; our minds, almost one.

I watched as he now focused on me, and away from the other two in the room. I did not pay attention to them as I sent them away, and as they fled, the beast whispered only one word into my mind. "_Revenge_." His voice was that of a serpent's hiss; something that I shall never forget. It echoed through my entire being.

I shudder to think what would have happened from there if I were still a demon like him. But then, with everything I have done, I may yet still be. In my rampage to avenge her, I became like the enemy I so despised, G.U.N. It should have been enough when I had their island base utterly destroyed, but I couldn't stop. I wanted everyone to feel my pain, so that somehow I could deal with my own.

So wrapped up with her, she became my past, present, and future. It was an obsession, but also the only one thing I knew, even if it didn't belong to me. I didn't care about anything or anyone else. Unlike other evil I had seen, I didn't care for myself either. I was a perfect evil, like my counter part, Shadow the Biolizard. Only when I truly listened to my memory's plea was when I became different.

It was up to me to avenge her; that was what I always thought. It was as instinctive as breathing. Maybe it was instinct… She had been shot down and killed for no reason! She had saved my life! She had been… My friend. She had no right to die! But then it suddenly struck me, and at that moment on I felt disgraced. I, Shadow the Hedgehog, the one and only ultimate life form, had failed. And I had failed the only one I had.

Though it was these memories of her that drove me to destroy, in a twist of fate, I unlocked the true meaning of them, and her. From the very beginning, she had been pleading with me, but her pleas had not been heard. Her pleas had been twisted and molded into something I could handle. Anger. I was hurt and confused, and most painfully, alone, the breeding grounds of destruction. Though it was wrong, in my mind, I was right, and the world needed to be taught.

Both bred and created for destruction, the Biolizard and I had only one fatal difference. My memories. They were no longer fueling a raging obsession, but instead, a promise. The Biolizard noted this quickly, and turned on me. Unfortunately for it, its primitive instincts to destroy were nothing compared to the new level I had reached. I was no longer a blood thirsty beast, preying on the weak. It was like I had suddenly woken up for the first time in my life.

The battle was long and hard, pushing both of us to near collapse. Where the Biolizard had the size and raw power driven by destructive instinct, I had speed and power driven by will. I could never allow myself to make another mistake that fatal, even if it meant death. That is why we clashed so hard against one another. Both of us feared death, for we had just tasted life for the first time, and instantly became starved for more.

I would love to gloat on how much superior I was, but I find I cannot. It was not a flawless victory, nor an easy one at that. Killing something so similar to you… It tore me inside and out. His agonizing moans were my own. Attacking him was like attacking myself when I had first awoke. I was sad… That he could not change and live… That he would never have a chance…

Through out the battle, I was slowing tearing apart the life support system on his back while dodging shot after shot of raw energy from his deadly mouth. Most of the time, however, we were trying to keep each other at bay. By avoiding his limbs, I was mostly safe by his own large size. He would soon wear himself out, allowing me to quickly tear in and strike his weakness. In the end, I left him gasping for life, his limp body falling loudly onto the cold and wet metal floor, where it remained, slowly, dieing.

I was tired and worn, and unfortunately alive. I felt it should have been me laying there. I had taken quite a beating. But I deserved it. It was nothing. I couldn't and didn't want to even imagine what I would now have to go through, now that this whole ordeal was finished. Thankfully, my brother proved to be called my prototype, and ARK began to descend once more.

A silent truce was all that was needed. As much as I detest him, I respect him. As much as I had felt the need to test myself against him; to defeat him, I was also jealous of him. Why? I can't quite figure it out really. Maybe it was because he never strayed once into the darkness, where I am engulfed in it. I wanted to be a hero to Maria… Instead I failed her. Now, I don't know what to think about him. But then, I don't think I will see him anytime soon. At least, I hope not. Sonic the Hedgehog.

* * *

Wow, I had written this a couple years ago, and was just reminded of it when my friend started playing SA2 recently, having just bought herself a Gamecube. I hope a few of you out there enjoyed this little read. If I remember right, I wrote this to help get over his death scene at the end of the game. So yeah,it rambles probably a lot, but I think I like it this way.Oh yeah, I don't own SA2 or the characters, by the way. Just in case you thought otherwise. Heh. Yeah... XP 


End file.
